Monday, March 21, 2011

Tinkering: What's up with the UN attack on the leadership of a country that has (of late) done nothing to anyone outside its borders, nor harmed the financial interests of any foreign corporation? On humanitarian grounds? Ah, I question that moral certitude. Think of the precedent; of what the UN response be in Yemen? Bahrain? Syria? Ivory Coast? Or more involved situations like Tibet, Chechnya? What about the old pretense that sovereign nations were... sovereign? Does the possession of resources matter? Oil? Chocolate? Does any of this pass the laugh test?

As Ever: A Washington Post/ABC poll found that 53% of Americans support same-sex marriage. None the less, playing to their dwindling base, the GOP in Montana voted to keep the state law that criminalizes gay sex - even though the Montana courts have ruled it unconstitutional and unenforceable. Form over substance.

Anonymous Investor: “The human toll in Japan looks to be much worse than the economic toll, and we can be grateful for that.”

Gray Swan? Reports are filtering in from the Gulf of Mexico that another oil disaster may be in progress, resulting (so far) in an oil slick 100 miles long and 10 miles wide trailing off from a Matterhorn SeaStar oil rig about 20 miles away from the Deepwater Horizon site.

Populism, Revised: Congressman Dave Camp (R-MI), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, wants to cut the tax rate for the richest of the rich to 25%. To pay for it he would like to see popular middle class tax deductions eliminated. This would add $2 trillion to the public debt over a decade, but well worth it in terms of campaign contributions.

Maybe... Worried that tons of radioactive spent fuel may have ignited and that the pressure is building again inside one reactor, experts fear that Fukushima may eclipse Chernobyl in severity of damage.

Overqualified: Elizabeth Warren is objectively the best candidate to lead the Financial Consumer Protection Agency, which explains why the Republicans and the bankers are out to dismember her, citing her effrontery in wanting to begin protecting financial consumers before July 1st. Until then it is supposed to be open season.

Idiotology: By a vote of 34 to 19, Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee have voted to outlaw global climate change. Criminal and civil penalties will follow. Heliocentrism is scheduled for hearings and possible revocation.

Stigmata: There is a new threat to the economic recovery – the fear that all those who lost their jobs and then lost hope and withdrew from the labor market, thus reducing the number of unemployed – will look for work if the economy improves. Which will make the statistical recovery look bad by driving up the unemployment rate some more. In order for the the Pushkin recovery to continue, some way must be found to keep the long term unemployed and discouraged workers from actually trying to go back to work. Perhaps once a former worker has been branded 'untouchable' he should no longer be considered as part of the labor statistics.

Softies: Minnesota Republicans have revised their goal of prohibiting anyone receiving any form of public assistance from possessing any money, to making it illegal for them to have up to $20 a month. And no checking accounts, either. Instead, they will be required to use state-issued debit cards and special terminals set up in Republican-controlled business.

No Reservations Needed: The US Census Bureau reports that nearly 20% of Florida's houses are vacant. Also rans: Arizona with a 16.3 vacancy rate, and Nevada at 14.3% California, for all the publicity, is way down the list with only an 8.1% vacancy rate.

Elsewhere: Ann Coulter says that “radiation is good for you.” God had a wife, Asherah. Apparently He got the kid in the divorce. The GOP, afraid we've forgotten, wants to renew our vows with “In God We Trust”.

Radiation is goodA mind trick used by nuclear advocates and defenders of DU munitions alike is to confuse the risks of receiving an amount of radiation in the form of rays, with the risks of ingested or breathed radioactive particles. It is one thing to stand next to a DU shell or a bucket of strontium-90, bathing in its weak rays. It is another thing altogether to breathe in DU dust or drink strontium-90 contaminated milk, and have radioactive particles bonded to your teeth and bones (Sr-90) or binding to your DNA (U-238).Nuclear safety people have to be called on this.

Our Motto

Keep fightin' for freedom and justice, beloveds, but don't you forget to have fun doin' it. Lord, let your laughter ring forth. Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce. And when you get through kickin' ass and celebratin' the sheer joy of a good fight, be sure to tell those who come after how much fun it was.